Cyprus – ranked 26th. First Division was going to be reduced from 15 to 14 teams next season, so 3 teams were relegated and 2 promoted. Still 2 points were given for a win. No change at the top.
Evagoras (Paphos) won the Second Division with 39 points, followed by Alki (Larnaca) with 37 points. Both teams were promoted to the top league- rather, returning to it. Omonia (Aradipou) was the absolute outsider of First Division, finishing with 5 points. Single win, 13 goals scored and 81 received. Above them were two more outsiders, however, much stronger than Omonia (Aradipou) – Keravnos finished 14th with 21 points and EPA – 13th, also with 21 points, but better goal-difference than Keravnos. Those were the three relegated teams. Aris was 12th, but hardly in any danger during the season – they finished with 26 points.
Not much commotion up the table:
Pezoporikos was 7th with 28 points.
APOEL topped the weaker teams in this championship – 3rd with 34 points. Only two teams fought for the title – Apollon ended 2nd with 40 points, scoring, however, most goals this season: 61.
Familiar winners – Omonia (Nicosia) collected their 16th title. They finished with 43 points from 17 wins, 9 draws, 2 lost games, and 60-22 goal-difference.
The Cup finals opposed AEL to Aris and AEL prevailed 3-2.
AEL (Limassol) won their 6th Cup. Well done.
Norway
Norway. Ranked 27th. Two of the successful clubs in the 1970s won the trophies this season, a sense of deja vu.
Success is success, depending on the relative measure of it: Sandefjord who promotion from III Division to Second Division this year. This was great for club, fans, city.
In the Second Division the group winners were directly promoted and the second-placed had a chance to go up if winning the promotion/relegation tournament including the 10th team in the First Division.
Fyllingen topped Group A with 43 points – 13 wins, 4 ties, 5 losses, 43-20 goal-difference.
Djerv 1919 clinched second place with 41 points, beating Bryne by a point.
Similar close battle in Group B:
Stromsgodset won the championship with 45 points – 13 wins, 6 ties, 3 losses, 42-24 goal-difference. Nice return to top flight. Top row from left: Harald Ramsfjell (trener), Kjell Bjørkli, Ulf Camitz, Geir Andersen, Odd Johnsen, Geir Heggdal, Einar Sigmundstad (trener).
Middle row: Frank Hovland (oppmann), Morten Lilleberg, Glenn Knutsen, Torkel Knudsen, Vegard Hansen, Frode Johannessen, Lars Groven, Ole Viggo Walseth, Odd Roar Kirkebø (materialforvalter)
Sitting: Arne Gustavsen, Geir Bakke, Ronny Hvambsal, Terje Dokken (sportslig leder), Juro Kuvicek, Halvor Storskogen.
HamKam finished 2nd with 42 points, 1 point ahead of Mjondalen.
First Division: two outsiders and one domineering leader. Mjolner ended last with 15 points and Sogndal – 11th with 18 points. They were directly relegated. Valerengen was unlucky – 10th with 23 points and going to the promotion/relegation play-off. They were the team receiving most goals in the championship: 52.
Start was lucky – 9th with 23 points, in safety only thanks to better goal-difference than Valerengen.
With 30 points, Brann finished 7th. Third row from left: Erling Mikkelsen, Jan-Erik Larsen, Arve Mokkelbost, Rune Enehaug (fysio), Jon Schjelderup (lege), Teitur Thordarson (trener), Trygve Larsen (keepertrener), Arne Wilhelmsen (oppmann), Kjell Jensen, John Reigstad.
Middle row: Mons Ivar Mjelde, Åge Lie, Per Egil Ahlsen, Redouane Drici, Dan Riisnes, Per Hilmar Nybø, Ketil Elvenes, Lars Moldestad, Atle Torvanger, Olafur Thordarson, Trond Johannessen.
Front row: Henrik Bjørnstad, Amadou Njie, Jan Erik Storvik, Jan Erlend Kruse, Trond Nordeide, Jan Eivind Brudvik, Roy Wassberg, Einar Arne Roth, Tore Hadler-Olsen.
Molde lost the bronze medals om worse goal-difference – 4th with 37 points.
Tromso clinched bronze.
Rosenborg finished confident 2nd with 44 points, but were incapable of challenging the leader.
Lillestrom had no rival: 16 wins, 4 ties, 2 losses, 31-13 goal-difference and 52 points. Rosenborg scored almost twice more goals than Lillestrom – 56 – and another 6 teams had scored equal or more goals than the champions, including the outsider Sogndal, but no team came close the the deffensive records of the leader – the next best were Tromso and Kongsvinger, allowing 25 goals each. Lillestrom had a handful of national team players – Fjortoft, Soler, Grodas, Halle, and the Swedish right full back Schiller.
Splendidly won 5th title – after such a season Lillestrom was expected to win more… and did not.
Viking and Molde reached the Cup final and in it Viking prevailed 2-1.
Like Lillestrom, Viking (Stavanger) became known to the world in the 1970s, when they were one of the best Norwegian teams. And now it looked like that together with Lillestrom they were going to be leading club in the 1990s. But the future was less interesting than the present: Viking won their 4th Cup and proud of it.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland. Ranked 28th. No contest season and world record.
Distillery was last with 12 points.
Larne – 10th with 28 points.
Ballymena United – 9th with 29 points.
Glenavon – 5th with 44 points.
Bangor – 4th with 45 points.
Coleraine – 3rd with 50 points.
Glentoran – 2nd with 55 points.
Linfield was once again the champion – 7 years in a row! They had no challenger at all: 21 wins, 2 ties, 3 losses, 58-19 goal-difference, 65 points. 10 points ahead of Glentoran.
Linfield was not world-famous and powerful club internationally, but they made a world record this year on a scale unreachable for any other club no matter name, money, popularity: they won their 40th title.
The Cup final was played between Larne and Ballymena United. With Linfield so strong domestically, it was even surprising to see low-placed clubs at the final, but that was that. Ballymena prevailed 1-0.
Wonderful success for a team having otherwise poor season, based largely on ties – Ballymena United ended with most ties in the league (11). Back Row (left to right): Alex McKee (Manager), Paul Hardy, Jim Scott, John Heron, Damien Grant, Billy Pyper, Stephen Young, John Garrett, Billy McCready (Physiotherapist). Front Row (left to right): Joss Arbuthnott, ?, John McKee, Dessie Loughery, Michael Smyth, Ricky Simpson, Dermot Doherty.
This was the 7th Cup for Ballymena United. Also their last… but who would tell at the happy moment?